Interviews : Marie-Cécile Ploy: Dealing with Resistant Bacteria

-

Marie-Cécile Ploy: Dealing with Resistant Bacteria

Just over a year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its first report on resistance to antimicrobials, which include antibiotics. It considered it a serious threat that could strike anyone, anywhere in the world. A danger that French research – particularly Inserm – has been studying for several years, and of which researcher Marie-Cécile Ploy is one of the spearheads.

Marie-Cécile Ploy, ©Inserm/François Guénet
Marie-Cécile Ploy, microbiologist, head of Resinfit – Antimicrobials: Molecular Supports of Resistances and Therapeutic Innovations (unit 1092 Inserm/ Limoges University/Limoges University Hospital), in Limoges. ©Inserm/François Guénet

How is antibiotic resistance a critical global issue?

Marie-Cécile Ploy: Antibiotic resistance is a real problem – and one to be tackled with the One health approach, because it affects humans, animals and the environment. Bacteria have no geographical frontiers and few species boundaries. There is a strong societal dimension, particularly linked to climate change and conflicts, which lead to population movements and injuries involving multi-resistant bacteria. This global aspect is important. We can all be affected by antimicrobial resistance, often without realizing it. This is a difficult subject for the general public to understand and can be made more concrete by accounts from patients or families. This approach, which is fairly recent and recognized by the WHO, is currently being considered at French level within networks such as Promise – co-led by Inserm as part of the Antibiotic Resistance priority research program.

Regarding the issues at stake, awareness has increased significantly in recent years. At the global level, we now recognize the need to work together, by ceasing to compartmentalize human, animal and environmental health. However, this dialogue is complex and takes time. The challenges persist: the increase in population and poverty (the poorest being the most affected) as well as globalization (travel, increased production, etc.) contribute to the circulation of bacteria. Effective communication between all areas of expertise is needed to try to overcome the problem.

What avenues are being explored to combat antibiotic resistance?

M.-C. P.: In terms of prevention, basic hygiene rules are crucial – handwashing and the use of hydroalcoholic solutions – especially in hospitals. Vaccination also has a role to play. For example, vaccination against pneumococcal disease has pushed back resistance of this type of bacteria to antibiotics, which are less frequently administered. Similarly, influenza vaccination limits severe forms and therefore the risk of bacterial superinfection, which would otherwise be treated with antibiotics likely to create resistant strains.

Finally, in terms of prevention, improved access to drinking water and sanitation is fundamental at the global level. A United Nations report found that 56% of the world’s wastewater is untreated, promoting bacterial proliferation.

And what about treatment?

M.-C. P.: From this viewpoint, the search for new antibiotics is a major focus. In France, the AntibioDeal network, integrated into the Promise network, aims to structure this research. This is a long and difficult journey. A major obstacle is the unsuitable economic model for new molecules: their low return on investment – their prescription must remain limited to preserve their efficacy – does not encourage their development. Other innovative avenues are being explored, such as phage therapy – viruses that are harmless to humans but lethal to bacteria – or monoclonal antibodies.

What is your specific role in this combat?

M.-C. P.: I am a clinical microbiologist and head of the Resinfit unit in Limoges. I have been working on antibiotic resistance since my thesis, whose viva I did over 30 years ago. My personal research areas are more fundamental. I focus on gene transmission between bacteria and ecosystems (human/environment). I study how bacteria acquire resistance genes and the role of the environment in the spread of antibiotic resistance. I am coordinating a joint European action for Inserm that brings together 30 countries, called EU-Jamrai 2. This initiative aims to combat antibiotic resistance more effectively by helping countries implement their public health action plans against this scourge. Finally, I co-lead the Promise network for Inserm. The goal is to set up more ambitious research projects by joining forces.

Copyright belongs to, article taken from : https://www.inserm.fr/en/news/marie-cecile-ploy-dealing-with-resistant-bacteria/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

History Part 12 : Post-War Stagnation and Phage Therapy’s Marginalization in the West (1945–1980s)

-
Image
Post-War Stagnation and Phage Therapy’s Marginalization in the West (1945–1980s) The period following World War II marked a decisive turning point in the trajectory of phage therapy in Western medicine. Despite the promising results bacteriophages had demonstrated prior to the war as potential antibacterial agents, the decades after 1945 saw a dramatic decline in interest, funding, and scientific engagement with phage therapy in the United States and much of Western Europe. This marginalization can be attributed to a confluence of scientific, sociopolitical, and economic factors that reshaped the landscape of infectious disease treatment and research. Artistic View One of the key contributors to this decline was the overwhelming optimism surrounding the newly discovered class of antibiotics. The post-war pharmaceutical revolution brought forward a series of broad-spectrum antibiotics such as streptomycin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol, which were viewed as miracle drugs capable o...
Read more

The Phage Therapy in the spotlight !

-
Image
Bacteriophages: Ancient Predators and the Next Frontier in Medicine In the animated documentary The Deadliest Being on Planet Earth , the Kurzgesagt team delves into the world of bacteriophages—viruses that prey exclusively on bacteria. With vibrant visuals and precise narration, the video introduces viewers to an invisible ecosystem where microscopic hunters orchestrate life-and-death dramas that shape the biosphere. These entities, though virtually unknown to the general public, may soon become central to the future of medicine. At the heart of the video lies a paradox: bacteriophages (or "phages") are among the most abundant biological entities on Earth—outnumbering all other organisms combined—yet their therapeutic potential has been largely sidelined in the antibiotic era. The video outlines the historical trajectory of phage research, spotlighting Félix d’Hérelle’s early 20th-century work and the rise of phage therapy, only to show how it was later eclipsed by the dis...
Read more

Paper 3 : Phage Therapy May Treat Drug Resistance in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Study Finds

-
Image
Phage Therapy May Treat Drug Resistance in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis, Study Finds June 13, 2025 "Yale's university researchers find a new approach to combatting antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance, in which germs like bacteria and fungi no longer respond to medicines, is a rising global threat. When antibiotics and other drugs become ineffective, infections can become difficult or impossible to treat, leading to an increase in the spread and severity of disease. In a new study, published in Nature Medicine , a team of researchers at the Center for Phage Biology and Therapy at Yale discovered a novel approach that may revolutionize the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Jon Koff, MD, with a patient Credit: Robert A. Lisak For the study, the research team investigated the use of phage therapy—the use of viruses, or phages, to target and kill bacteria—to help patients with cystic fibrosis, a disease in which antimicrobial resistance is a significant issue....
Read more